A CHARITY supporting families in Inverclyde treated nearly 400 children from local schools and nurseries to a special VIP trip to the panto.
Youngsters from Port Glasgow, Greenock and Gourock were bussed to the Beacon to see a fantastic performance of Beauty and The Beast starring Still Game favourites Jane McCarry and Mark Cox.
The Children in Poverty Inverclyde charity organised the trip, funded by a £5,000 grant from the Co-op.
St John's Primary principal teacher Jenny McCachy said: "It was absolutely wonderful to be able to take our P4 class along. There are children in the audience who might not have been to see a panto before. I think the work of Children in Poverty Inverclyde is wonderful."
This is the seventh time that the charity, run by local man Pat Burke, has organised the panto trip, with different schools getting an opportunity to go each year.
This time round it was the turn of St Francis' and St John's Primaries, both in the Port, Hillend Nursery, Bluebird Family Centre and St Joseph's Primary, all in Greenock, plus Gourock Primary and St Ninian's Primary.
The charity organised a team of volunteers on the day, including Santa, to welcome the children and their teachers into the venue.
Pat said: "We get to see all those children having a good time and that is what it is all about, that is why we do this."
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